Most of us have encountered someone so sentimental about little things that they won’t throw away anything, or can’t watch or listen to dozens of things because they remind them of something or someone, somewhere. While this type of sentimentality can be taken to extremes and lead to hoarding or serious avoidance issues, there are many meaningful things that are absolutely worth being sentimental about. Things such as these.
1. Your animal companions.
People who form deep bonds with their animal companions inevitably get sentimental about them, and with good cause! The friendships we forge with our animal friends are just as strong and sacred as those we have with humans (if not more so, for some people), and we adore both the ones we have now and those who have departed this world.
As such, keeping items that they love (or loved, if they have already passed on) is a great way to pay tribute to the connections we have with them. Some people keep their dogs’ or cats’ collar tags, while others hold onto their pets’ favorite toys. Others get pet portraits made in tribute, or plant memorial gardens that they can visit to help them remember their friends.
Sentimentality is a normal and healthy part of honoring our beloved pets, in whichever manner feels right to us.
2. Films or TV series you shared with people who mean a lot to you.
My grandfather was particularly fond of old western films, and I have fond memories of watching movies like The Magnificent Seven and Shane with him when I was a child. Even though it’s not my favorite genre, the fact that it was an activity that I shared with him earned these films a special place in my heart. And science shows it can trigger the release of feel-good hormones, enhance feelings of connection, and reduce stress.
Most of us have these kinds of associations with films of various kinds, and it’s great to be able to revisit them for the sake of sentimentality. What’s more, sharing them with others can rekindle the special spark you felt the first time you watched them. My partner never had a chance to meet my grandfather before he passed on, but after introducing her to some of the favorites that he and I watched together, I feel like there’s a bond that links all of us together now.
3. Amazing pieces of music.
Pretty much everyone has strong memories associated with certain songs, and they may be transported back to a special place and time whenever they’re played. One tune might remind them of carefree summer days spent with friends on the beach, while another might bring back memories of the first time they kissed the person they ended up marrying.
Music is the literal soundtrack to our lives, and it’s great to be able to relive nostalgic moments by revisiting certain songs. In fact, according to Psychology Today, music-evoked nostalgia can be immensely beneficial to us by helping to alleviate stress and promote emotional well-being overall.
4. Childhood places of the heart.
Most of us had special places where we spent time as children that left indelible marks on our hearts and souls. It might have been an attic room at your grandparents’ place where you ate snacks and read comic books until the wee hours, a grotty forest clubhouse you and your friends built with plywood and old shower curtains, or a special holiday destination that changed your entire world.
The experiences you had in childhood that made you aware of the beauty and magic that exist in the world are definitely worth being sentimental about. In fact, if you aren’t able to revisit those places for various reasons, you can try to re-create them somehow. For example, if you have a fond memory of camping in a pine forest during your childhood, using pine-scented aromatherapy at home might beautifully reawaken those memories and bring a similar measure of joy and light back into your heart.
5. Souvenirs from your travels.
These don’t necessarily have to be cheesy tchotchkes that you’ve picked up over the years while travelling so much as meaningful little items that meant a great deal to you at the time. Maybe you got an amazing hand-tapped tattoo from a monk in Thailand, or you found a magical piece of lava rock on a trip to Iceland that you took with someone you love (or loved).
When you see the ink in your skin, and either use or admire an item that you found (or bought) that means a great deal to you, the happy memories of those experiences will come flooding back.
One of my favorite possessions is a sliver of soap that I bought from a stall at the Glastonbury music festival about 15 years ago. All I have to do is inhale its scent — a mixture of orange and palo santo — and I’m transported right back there. Just without the mud and terrifying portable toilets.
6. Seemingly “insignificant” gifts your loved ones give you.
When someone you love gives you a gift, it’s because it’s something special to them that made them think of you fondly. Or it’s something they put time and effort into making for you because they want to show you how much they care.
As such, the little note jotted onto a cafe napkin or a ridiculous figurine they found at a thrift shop might seem insignificant, but it tells you that this person thinks highly of you and wants to share special things with you whenever possible. My partner has an entire collection of the little rocks I’ve picked up for her when out walking, and knowing that she keeps them all means a hell of a lot to me.
7. Meals or experiences you shared with your partner in the early days of your relationship.
Much like scent, taste is closely tied to memory. Because of this, a certain meal (or even just a flavor or texture) can cause intense nostalgia and bring back all the fond memories of a time that was really special to you. For example, when you think back to the first few dates you shared with your spouse or partner, you likely remember a lot of details of what you both ate and drank.
Whether you re-create the fancy Italian meal you shared when one of you proposed to the other, or you indulge in some awful corn dogs and deep-fried chocolate bars from the county fair where you met, remembering these meals by revisiting them now and then does wonders for rekindling the good feelings you had when you made those memories.
8. Traditions and rituals that mean a lot to you.
A lot of us have traditions or rituals that we either grew up with or have cultivated over the years. For example, some families set an extra place at the dinner table to honor family members who are no longer with them, while others might set aside time on a specific night to share a special dessert and plan the week ahead together.
These activities are incredibly important because they don’t just create memories — they keep them alive. That extra table setting helps us remember that the departed family member isn’t truly gone: they’re always with us. And the little rituals we create with loved ones become cornerstones we can depend upon, and lodestars that guide us through even the darkest nights.
9. Experiences in nature that left you awestruck.
Ron Swanson, a character from the TV comedy Parks & Rec, once said: “Crying is only okay in two places: funerals, and the Grand Canyon.” While this viewpoint might have worked well for him, there are many other locales that can inspire similar emotional reactions from people, and it’s absolutely okay — even encouraged — to be sentimental about them.
Just about all of us have experienced something gorgeous out in nature, whether it was seeing an ocean of stars for the first time, having a close encounter with a migrating whale, sunrise over an ancient monument, or countless other similar awe-inspiring moments. These experiences change us, shape us, and stay with us for a lifetime. If that isn’t worth some sentimental rumination, I don’t know what is.
Final thoughts…
Sentimentality can be an incredibly sweet and poignant thing to enjoy on occasion, but it can also be detrimental if taken to extremes. For instance, being overly sentimental about a relationship can prevent someone from moving on once that partnership ends. Similarly, holding on to inanimate objects because of the memories associated with them can result in unhealthy or overwhelming clutter over time.
As with all things, finding a balance in which sentiment and pragmatism both have their place is ideal. Otherwise, one’s gaze ends up being firmly directed towards the past, instead of the present and future.
